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The Olympics in Spanish

Do you know how to say "Olympics" in Spanish? How about "athlete" or "medal"? In this lesson, we'll explore the names of various Olympic sports, common verbs used in sports, and specific terms related to the Olympic Games. Let's dive into the exciting world of the Olympics.

 

olympics in spanish

 

How do you say Olympics in Spanish?

In Spanish, the term for "Olympics" can be expressed as los Juegos Olímpicos or las Olimpiadas. Both terms are commonly used and understood.

 

Esto llegó con la nominación de Barcelona como sede de los Juegos Olímpicos en mil novecientos noventa y dos.

This arrived with the nomination of Barcelona as seat of the Olympic Games in nineteen ninety two.

Captions 10-12, El Trip Barcelona

 Play Caption

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y ahora estoy trabajando en las Olimpiadas de Londres del dos mil doce,

and now I am working on the 2012 London Olympics,

Caption 8, Álvaro Arquitecto Español en Londres

 Play Caption

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Key Olympic Terms

Let's see some of the most important Olympic-related terms in Spanish: 

 

el atleta | the athlete
la medalla | the medal
el oro | the gold (medal)
la plata | the silver (medal)
el bronce | the bronze (medal)
el podio | the podium
la ceremonia de apertura | the opening ceremony
la ceremonia de clausura | the closing ceremony

 

Olympic Sports in Spanish and English

Here are some popular Olympic sports and their Spanish translations:

 

atletismo | athletics
natación | swimming
gimnasia | gymnastics
baloncesto | basketball
fútbol | soccer
tenis | tennis
voleibol | volleyball
ciclismo | cycling
boxeo | boxing
esgrima | fencing
lucha | wrestling
levantamiento de pesas | weightlifting
remo | rowing
tiro con arco | archery
equitación | equestrian
triatlón | triathlon
tenis de mesa | table tennis
bádminton | badminton

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Common Verbs Used in Sports

Let's look at some common verbs used in sports, both in Spanish and English:

 

jugar (to play)

El equipo juega al baloncesto. (The team plays basketball.)

 

competir (to compete)

Ella compite en natación. (She competes in swimming.)

 

ganar (to win)

Él ganó la carrera. (He won the race.)

 

perder (to lose)

Ellos perdieron el partido. (They lost the match.)

 

correr (to run)

Los atletas corren en la pista. (The athletes run on the track.)

 

nadar (to swim)

Ella nada en la piscina. (She swims in the pool.)

 

saltar (to jump)

El gimnasta salta alto. (The gymnast jumps high.)

 

lanzar (to throw)

Él lanza la jabalina. (He throws the javelin.)

 

How to Pronounce Olympic Sports in Spanish

Let's practice a little bit with some clips from our library:

 

Soy directora de Suma Deportes y hoy vengo a hablarles sobre la natación.

I'm the director of Suma Deportes, and today, I'm here to talk to you about swimming.

Captions 21-22, Víctor en Caracas La natación

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un deporte con características similares a la esgrima

a sport with similar characteristics to fencing,

Caption 22, Aprendiendo con Silvia Deportes tradicionales canarios - Part 2

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el ciclismo colombiano dio una muestra de su poderío en la montaña.

Colombian cycling gave a sample of its power on mountains.

Caption 18, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 5 - Part 5

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¿Vos qué vas a saber de boxeo?

What would you know about boxing?

Caption 10, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 3 - Part 2

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More Special Olympic Terms

Here are some additional terms specifically related to the Olympics:

 

el anillo olímpico | the Olympic ring
el récord mundial | the world record
el Comité Olímpico Internacional (COI) | the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
la villa olímpica | the Olympic village
la antorcha olímpica | the Olympic torch
el relevo de la antorcha | the torch relay
el himno olímpico | the Olympic anthem

 

That's it for today. We hope this lesson helped you understand the basic terms related to the Olympics in Spanish. What's your favorite Olympic sport? Do you follow the Olympic Games? Please let us know, and don't forget to send us your questions and comments.

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Vocabulary

The Cardinal Directions in Spanish

Do you know how to say "east" or "southwest" in Spanish? In this lesson, we will learn how to spell and say the names of the four cardinal directions in Spanish as well as the intermediate, or ordinal directions. Let's take a look.

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The 4 Cardinal Directions in Spanish

First things first: The cardinal directions, or cardinal points, are known in Spanish as los puntos cardinales. Let's learn the names and pronunciations of the four cardinal directions in Spanish:

 

North (el norte)

 

En el norte de España.

In the north of Spain.

Caption 48, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Deportes tradicionales canarios

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East (el este)

 

¡Ah! Y en el este lloverá. 

Oh! And, in the east, it will rain.

Caption 24, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 5: Ha nacido una estrella

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South (el sur)

 

En el sur, por ejemplo, existe la cultura maya.

In the south, for example, there's the Mayan culture.

Caption 13, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín - Manuel y El barrilito

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West (el oeste)

 

San Pedro está situado en el oeste del canal de entrada a la bahía.

San Pedro is located in the west of the entrance channel to the bay.

Caption 34, Viajando con Fermín - Pasajes (Pasaia)

 Play Caption

 

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The 4 Ordinal Directions in Spanish

Now that we know how say the four cardinal directions in Spanish, it is time to find out the words for the four ordinal directions, which are known in Spanish as los puntos ordinales. By the way, because they are located between the cardinal directions, these are also known as las direcciones intercardinales (the intercardinal directions). 

 

Northeast (el noreste)

 

En el noreste de México.

In the northeast of Mexico.

Caption 34, Paseando con Karen - Bienvenidos a Parque Fundidora

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Southeast (el sudeste)

 

Eh... Son plantas, eh... la mayoría,

Um... They're plants [that are], um... the majority,

originarias todas del sudeste asiático.

all native to Southeast Asia.

Caption 88, Estepona - Orquídeas y plantas raras

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Southwest (el sudoeste)

 

Popayán es una ciudad que está ubicada

Popayan is a city that is located

en el sudoeste de Colombia.

in the southwest of Colombia.

Caption 3, Viajando con Carlos - Popayán - Colombia

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Northwest (el noroeste)

 

Caminaron un rato hacia el noroeste.

They walked northwest for a while.

Caption 8, Pigueldito y Federico - Ordenar

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When referring to "southeast" and "southwest," you can also use the terms sureste and suroeste (with the prefix sur-) instead of sudeste and sudoeste. However, the Real Academia Española prefers the variations with the prefix sud-

 

That's all for now. We hope you learned something useful today, and don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments.

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